Pile driving machine



Jan. 10, 1933. L. WATSON 1,893,687

FILE DRIVING MACHINE Filed June 4, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 (A gwue'nto'oie/fon Wa/foxy Jan. 10, 1933. L. WATSON FILE DRIVING MACHINE Filed June4, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 3mm Lw/oa Wa/m/yi Jan. 10, 1933. WATSON1,893,687

FILE DRIVING MACHINE Filed June 4, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 4 6/160 lV-yf/on 36% MF w v VIM 0mg Jan. 10, 1933. L. WATSON FILE DRIVING MACHINEFiled June 4, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jan. 10, 1933. 1 WATSON 1,893,687

FILE DRIVING MACHINE Filed June 4, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 o U- \7- n n/ AA L 0 l l L ex/oo Wazffon Patented Jan. 10, 1933 PATENT OFFICE LESTONWATSON, OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS PILE DRIVING MACHINE Application filed June4, 1931.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in pile drivingmachines.

The invention has to do with a pile driving machine particularly adaptedfor the driving of concrete piles for highway bridges, but is notnecessarily limited to such use.

I have done considerable experimenting in pile driving on highwaybridges and the like with the type of pile drivers now in general useand difliculties in the use of such machines led me to the invention ofmy present apparatus. While using other pile drivers I found difficultyin moving from one piling to another due to the fact that such machinesare mounted on skids or rollers and when the ground is not level a greatdeal of cribbing and blocking is necessary before movement can be made.I found that the machines which were. available were not flexible enoughand could not be economically and successfully used in this character ofwork, and particularly in crossing a stream or body of water. r

It is customary at present to use both wood and concrete piling inhighway and similar construction. In the present method the individualpiles are first driven to a depth to get suflicient bearing to carry theload. This may result in the top of the piling being either below orabove grade, and in the firstv instance the piling would have to bebuilt up to grade, and in the second instancewould have to be cut oil tograde. In my method the piling is first driven to grade and if it willnot go to grade it is cut off to grade. A temporary wooden cap is placedacross the piles which are arranged in a transverse row. If a pile hasnot reached sufficient bearing and it is necessary to drive it furtherdown than to grade, this can be done with my invention after the machinepasses over it, by turning the machine around and driving it frombehind. 1

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a pile driving machinewhich may Serial No. 542,057.

beam to another in a rapid and simple manner.

Still anotherobject of the invent-ion is to provide improved means forholding the leads rigidly in place and yet permitting ample adjustmentof the machine to different posio0 tions.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will behereinafterdescribed together with other features ofthe invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of thefollowing specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings inwhich an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pile driving machine constructed inaccordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the base portion and the supportingbeams,

Figure 8 is an enlarged front elevation of the carriage and supportingbeams,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the carriage, part of the super-structurebeing omitted.

Figure 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 ofFigure 2,

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 66 ofFigure 2,

Figure 7 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 7-7 ofFigure6,

. Figure 9 is an enlarged longitudinal crosssectional view taken on theline 99 of Figure 1, I

Figure 10 is a plan view of the machine shown in Figure 1,

Figure Sis a detail of theturntable mount Figure 11 is a verticalsectional view taken on line 11-11 of Figure 2,

Figure 12 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 1212 of Figure 2,and

Figure 13 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on line 13-13 ofFigure 9.

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates a base frame and 11 arectangular platform rotatably mounted thereon. The base frame isprovided with forward hold-down or retaining devices 12 at each side andsimilar devices 13 at the rear on each side of the frame. The frame ismadeup of a transverse front bolster 14, a rear transverse bolster 15and connecting sills 16. It is preferable to make these frame parts ofI-beams as is clearly shown in Figures 2, 3 and 6.

Each forward retaining device includes a pair of hangers 17 secured tothe under side of a mounting plate 18 which is fastened to the bottom ofthe forward bolster 14 at the outer end thereof. A pair of rollers 19are journaled in the hangers as is best shown in Figure 11. Thetrunnions 20 at the ends of each roller 19 pass through channels 21depending from the plate 18 and having their fiat sides secured to theinner sides of the said hangers. The channels are turned so as to formshoes with their lower flanges engaging under the top flanges of I-beamsA andB, whichare mounted in parallel and over-lapping relation on theheaders or caps O of the false work. Each roller passes through acentral spacer or shoe 22 cutfrom a piece of I-beam so that its lowerflanges will engage under the adjacent flanges of the beams A and B.

It will be seen that theshoes 20 and 22 will resist upward displacementof the frame 10 and that the rollers will providebearings on'which thebase frame'may be propelled. It will be noted that the rollers 19 willtravel on either of the beams A or B or on both of them. The beams areplaced on the caps one in advance of the other with their endsover-lapping so that the machine may be propelled therealong from onebeam to the other as the work progresses. The rear retaining devices 12are similar to the forward ones and each includes a mounting plate 18secured to the under side of the rear bolster 15, hangers 17, a singleroller 19 journaled in the hangers, and shoes 21 and 22. The retainingand supporting devices not only provide for easy propelling or movementof the base frame, but prevent its displacement from the beams A and Bwhen the platform 11 is swung under a load.

The platform 11 includes a spider 23 secured to the longitudinal sidemembers (Figures 4, 5 and 6). The spider has a pivot box 24 in itscenter. An inclined spider25 is fastened in the upper portion of thebase frame 10 (Figures 2, 5. 6 and 7) and also has a central pivot box26. A headed pivot pin 27 is inserted in the box 24 and engages in thebox 26. The purpose of this pin is to prevent movement of the frame 11laterally in a horizontal plane and to confine its horizontal movementto that of rotation about said pin.

A circular track 28 concentric to the pivot pin 27 is secured on top ofthe frame 10 and under the frame 11. The frame 11 includes diametricallyopposite segmental housings 29 as is best shown in Figures 3, 6, 7 and8. These housings are confined between the longitudinal side members ofthe frame and include complementary channels 30 which are suitablysecured to cross-members 31 and 32 (F lgures 2, 3 and 4). The channels30 extend under the top flange of the track 28 as is shown in detail inFigure 8, and rollers 33 journaled in the channels ride upon the track28, thus supporting the frame 11 and carrying the entire load thereof.-By this arrangement the frame 11 is freely rotated and the spiders, thetrack and the housings constitute a turntable.

A suitable boom 34 is hinged at its lower end to the forward end of theplatform 11 and this boom is operated and supported in the usual mannerby a suitable hoisting engine the details of which form no part of thepresent invention. The pile driving leads 35 are suspended from theupper end of the boom inthe usual manner. In order to brace the lowerends of the leads and hold the same in the proper position a structurehas been designed for this purpose, which is clearly shown in-Figuresl,9and 10. A horizontal yoke 36extends rearwardly from the leads and issupported by braces 36 attached to the leads. l n angle bar 37 issecured to the rear side of the yoke and has attached thereto a segment38. The segmentis disposed concentrically to a pivot bolt 39 passingthrough eyes 40 secured to the ends of brace bars 41.

The segment is secured at its ends to the endsof the bar 37 by rings 42thus permit: ting a swinging movement of said segment. Each bar 41, isprovided with a keeper 43 which embraces the segment and prevents thesegment from falling away from said bars. By this arrangement thesegment, the bar 37 and the yoke 39 maybe swung in a horizontal planeandrotated with relation to the brace bars 41. The inner ends of the bracebars are mounted to slide in keepers 44, (Figures 1, 2, 3 and 10)fastened on each side at the forward end of the platform 10. Set screws45 mounted in the keepers, are employed to fasten the brace bars inposition.

It will be seen that by reason of the holddown or retaining devices 12and 13 the frame 10'can not tilt and thus the platform 11 may be freelyswung to any position so as to suspend the leads 35 either forwardly orrearwardly or at any angle on each side of said frame. The turntable ofcourse, prevents the platform from tipping under its load. The adjustingmeans shown in Figure 9 permits the leads to be swung at any desiredangle either in a horizontal or vertical plane and fastened in suchposition by tightening the set screws 45.

It will be seen that the leads may thus be kept parallel to the caps C.As before stated the beams A and B are placed on the cap C one inadvance of the other and are overlapped. The rear ends of the beams B asshown in Figure 1 must be held down to prevent tilting when the frame10, boom 34 and leads 35 are under a load. For this purpose cables 46are fastened aroundthe piles D and looped over the ends of the beams sothat each will engage in the hook 47 of a jack 48 support-ed on a heavyplank 49 (Figs. 1 and 10) extending from one beam to the other. Byadjusting the jack 48 the loop of the cable 46 is tightened and the endof the beams thus held in place. For swinging the platform 11 a cable 50is coiled about the track 28, the ends of this cable being crossed andpassed through pulleys 51 and then coiled upon drums 52 connected withthe engine of the machine so that by rotating either drum the cable iswound thereon and unwound from the other drum, thus rotating theturntable. Various changes in the size and shape of the different parts,as well as modifications and alterations, may be made within the scopeof the appended claims.

Having illustrated and described a preferred form of the invention, whatI claim, is

1. In a pile driving machine, longitudinal flanged supports having theiradjacent ends overlapping, a base frame, rollers supporting the frameand arranged to engage either or both of the overlapping supports so asto ride from one support to the other support, hold-down devices carriedby the frame for engaging either or both of the overlapping supports,and a platform rotatably mounted on said frame.

2. In a pile driving machine, a base frame, hangers at the front andrear ends of the frame on each side thereof, rollers ournaled in saidhangers, flanged supports in which said rollers travel, shoes below therollers eX- tending under the flanges of the supports, and a platformrotatably mounted on the frame.

3. A pile driving machine as set forth in claim 2 and a spacer betweeneach pair of hangers having projections on each side extending under theflanges of the supports.

4. In a pile driving machine, a base frame, a platform rotatably mountedon the frame, a support on the platform, leads suspended from thesupport, a yoke mounted on the leads, a segment connected to the yoke,braces pivoted to the yoke and attached to the platform, and clampsmounted on the braces and engaging the segment.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LESTON WATSON.

